I am currently developing a prototype application which runs locally and not all functionality need be working, especially the file uploading/downloading and file browsing capabilities, due to time constraints. In working I setup a flex application, and now realize that same functionality could be handled in a more gracious fashion by AIR.

My question is how much more work is it modifying my prototype into a full AIR app when the time comes? I have a feeling it is not as easy as just including some AIR classes into my current prototype, right? And would I be better off, creating a new flex 3 project altogether, and repurposing what code needs to be re-purposed?

For example, I might need the ability to import custom artwork to be displayed in the application, which comes from the local filesystem, but can be saved or sent to a remote server. Initially, I used the FileReference class, but now am pondering if using adobe AIR would cut my development time, now and in the future.

Any enlightenment would be helpful, since from reading the documentation on Adobe AIR, I'm not quite sure of where the line in the sand is drawn between its framework and flex's framework is drawn.

It could be as easy as changing the Application tag to WindowedApplication and creating an application descriptor file.

I'm not sure if you can change a Flex web project into a desktop project, so you might have to create a new project in the F. Builder IDE. (If you are using the command line tools, that's not an issue.)

As to the "line in the sand," AIR is at the same level as Flash Player (in the browser or standalone). The Flex framework runs in either. There are a handful of features in Flex that work in AIR , but not in Flash Player (because they use AIR-only APIs).

That was good confirmation of what I was initially thinking from what I've read. But it's good to have another developers point of view, and reassurance that one's understanding of a subject "stands" on solid ground.